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Extraordinary Creatives

Ceri Hand

Extraordinary Creatives: The Premier Art Podcast

Welcome to the Extraordinary Creatives podcast, your gateway to the world of exceptional artists and creative leaders who have defied the odds to make a significant impact in the arts and beyond.

Hosted by Ceri Hand, creative coach, curator, and seasoned arts and business insider, this podcast offers a wealth of insights into art and creativity through in-depth interviews. Ceri’s extensive experience and genuine passion for the arts make every episode a treasure trove of inspiration and practical advice.

At the heart of Extraordinary Creatives is the belief that creativity is essential for success. However, it is the courage, confidence, and resilience to dare to be different that truly transforms the world. With her warm, playful, and straight-talking style, Ceri delves into the ideas, processes, mindsets, victories, and challenges of trailblazers who have paved the way in the arts.

Ceri’s mission is to support 100,000 artists and arts leaders by 2025 by providing exclusive access to information, inspiration, and expertise. Discover the transformative power of art with Extraordinary Creatives. Tune in and follow so you don’t miss an episode!

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Thursday · 1 hr 4 min
The Art Career Questions Nobody Teaches You to Answer
Hello and welcome to a slightly different episode of Extraordinary Creatives. Today, I'm inviting you behind the scenes of my coaching membership, to listen in on one of our live Art Surgery sessions, where artists bring me the questions, dilemmas, and decisions they're wrestling with in their creative lives. We cover everything from approaching galleries and finding mentors to selling work, building your website, collaborating with brands, and keeping your practice going when your health is unpredictable. Members submit questions in advance and pop them into the live chat, so it's a very spontaneous conversation. And of course, depending on the circumstances, I might approach some of these questions differently on another day. Our Art Surgeries usually last 30 minutes, although we've been doing a few longer ones recently to welcome new members. I hope you find something useful here, perhaps an answer to a question you've been sitting with yourself. And if you'd like to bring your own questions and get support with your creative practice every week, I'd love you to join us inside the membership. You'll find the link in the show notes, or you can visit https://cerihand.com/membership/. Right, let's get into it. KEY TAKEAWAYS Get your website live. Start with 12 strong works, provide clear details and a little context about each series. Keep unseen work back for opportunities that need a first. Time is precious, so think carefully about where you're investing it. Is it generating feedback, dialogue, advocates, and opportunities for your work? Or is it just making you feel busy? When approaching commercial galleries, there are lots of steps before you make an ask. Visit the shows, follow the artists, go to openings and talks, and get to know the gallery's ecosystem. Build relationships first. Choose a mentor with care. Be clear about what you want to learn, why they're right and what you'll put into practice. Mentoring is reciprocal: value their time, too. BEST MOMENTS “Get really clear on what is it that you're looking for support with, and who is the person that is best placed to help you, and why do you think that?” “Scout out two or three potential organisations … we don't want to put all of our eggs in one basket.” “You will always be selling. Even a loaning show is a selling show.…Every free exhibition is sold at some point, so 100% every single time you show your work, you're going to be selling it because it's a transference of enthusiasm.” Did something in this episode resonate with you? I'd love to hear. Send me a DM on Instagram, @cerihand, or email hello@cerihand.com. If you'd like to take things further, come and join us inside the membership. Bring your questions to Art Surgery, get practical coaching, and connect with other artists. Find out more at https://cerihand.com/membership/ And if you're enjoying Extraordinary Creatives, please leave a review. It helps other artists discover the show! HOST BIO With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. ** Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course Our self-study video course, Unlock Your Artworld Network, offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities and thrive. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/ ** Book a Discovery Call Today To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at hello@cerihand.com ** Discover Your Extraordinary Creativity Visit www.cerihand.com to learn how we can help you. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
Monday · 1 hr 27 min
How Time Reveals New Meaning in the Work We Make with Jeremy Liebman
As a child, Jeremy Liebman hated having his photograph taken by his dad. He and his twin brother were forever being asked to sit still while their father tested his camera and lighting. Today, Jeremy photographs some of the world's most recognisable faces, including Walton Goggins and Stellan Skarsgård. But it's his deeply personal book Coincidence that brings us to the heart of this conversation. Through photographs of his young children and his father, who was living with Alzheimer's, Jeremy explores memory, love and what happens when language can't quite capture our experience of the world. We talk about finding your own creative voice, why being an introvert can be a strength, the importance of genuinely seeing another person, and why building a creative career takes far longer than most of us imagine. I'm Ceri Hand, this is Extraordinary Creatives, and my guest today is photographer Jeremy Liebman. KEY TAKEAWAYS You don’t have to adopt somebody else’s way of working. If you’re introverted, you can build a practice around observation and quiet attention. Treat failed attempts as useful information. Look honestly at what isn’t working, ask why, and experiment with angle, material, light, or timing; intuition grows through repetition. Leave room for the person or subject to surprise you. A plan is useful but stay responsive rather than forging ahead with a fixed idea of what the image should be. Trusted outside eyes can reveal connections you couldn’t see while making the work. A creative career rarely unfolds to schedule. Keep following your curiosity through quieter periods and changing circumstances; meaningful work can take years to find its form. BEST MOMENTS “I'm getting a sense that you developed the experience and the skill set ….like a toolkit or a toolbox that you could dip in and out of according to what the context and the people and the location was requiring.” “My hope is that I can take a picture of them performing a role rather than taking a picture of the role itself.” “We don't have to know exactly where our work is leading, or even fully understand what we're making at the time. But we do have to keep paying attention, keep making things and give ourselves enough time to recognise what's emerging.” EPISODE RESOURCES https://jeremyliebman.com https://www.instagram.com/jeremy_liebman Jeremey´s book - https://www.apartamentomagazine.com/product/coincidence-jeremy-liebman-book/ HOST BIO With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. ** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals. Ready to transform your art career? Join today! https://cerihand.com/membership/ ** Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities and thrive in the art world today. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/ ** Book a Discovery Call Today To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at hello@cerihand.com **** Discover Your Extraordinary Creativity Visit www.cerihand.com to learn how we can help you become an extraordinary creative. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
November 5 · 21 min
How to Talk About Personal or Vulnerable Work
If you're making work that comes from somewhere deeply personal, how much do you actually have to tell people about where it came from? I've been thinking about this because it's something that comes up quite often when I'm working with artists. Perhaps you've been through a bereavement, an illness, a relationship ending, a difficult childhood, or something else that has affected you profoundly. Inevitably, that experience has found its way into the studio. Then you get to the point where the work has to leave the studio. You need to write about it. Somebody asks you about it in a studio visit. You're writing your About page or preparing for an artist talk and suddenly there's this question: how much do I say? I think that's a really interesting question because there's a difference between something being important to the work and thinking you have to explain it publicly. Some artists are extraordinarily open about their lives. For those artists, that degree of revelation became part of their language. You may want to do that too, or you may want to say a lot less about your experiences. This episode will help you to get the balance right, for you. KEY TAKEAWAYS Think about boundaries and what you want to share before you publish. Once something is part of your public story, people will ask about it. What feels right to share mid-processing may not feel right in five or ten years. Give people enough context to open the door, then stop. Think less about how brave you ought to be. Think more about what information genuinely helps somebody meet the work. Sometimes explaining everything can actually make the work smaller. The story can also follow you for years. BEST MOMENTS "The person looking at the work doesn't necessarily need the details of what happened, who it happened to, when it happened or what you went through. You get to decide where that boundary sits." "We sometimes confuse honesty with disclosure. “Making vulnerable work doesn't mean you have to make yourself vulnerable in every situation in which that work is discussed… You can be deeply courageous in the studio and have very clear boundaries outside it.” "Sometimes explaining everything can actually make the work smaller." PODCAST HOST BIO With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. **** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals. Ready to transform your art career? Join today! https://cerihand.com/membership/ **** Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities and thrive in the art world today. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/ **** Book a Discovery Call Today To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at hello@cerihand.com **** Discover Your Extraordinary Creativity Visit www.cerihand.com to learn how we can help you become an extraordinary creative. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
November 2 · 1 hr 15 min
Sustain the Thing That Sustains You: Finding Your People, Backing Your Work and Building an Art Career with Robin F. Williams
What happens when you expect your art to become your entire “existential dread receptacle”? That brilliant phrase comes from my guest today, Robin F. Williams, and it opens up a conversation I think a lot of artists need to hear about how you protect the creative practice that gives your life meaning without asking it to do absolutely everything for you. Robin is a Brooklyn-based painter whose extraordinary work moves between art history, horror, gender, technology, and our strange relationship with AI. Their work is held in The Brooklyn Museum, ICA Miami and at the Colombus Museum of Art. We spoke just before Act Natural, Robin´s first UK solo exhibition, opened at No.9 Cork Street in London, where the new paintings move from Siri and language models to mermaids, Terminator 2, and Renaissance painting. and the increasingly slippery question of what we even mean by “natural.” We also get underneath their career: getting stuck, the group of women artists who helped Robin keep going, what nearly twenty years with P·P·O·W has taught them about gallery relationships, and why success comes down to sustaining the thing that sustains you. KEY TAKEAWAYS Don't ask your art to carry everything. Painting can't be your only outlet for anxiety, so build other practices around it: sleep, exercise, writing, even playing a guitar badly. These release valves keep your main practice vital and light. Let ideas tell you their size. Make studies, like Robin's gouaches, and live with them. If an idea keeps asking questions, it may deserve a big painting; if not, it's finished at that scale. Bigger isn't always more meaningful. Find your people. A trusted crit group offers honest feedback, moral support, and permission to follow your instinct. Don't wait for an invitation: gather a few friends and one willing organiser and start your own. Believe in your work first. A gallery can give you runway, but it can't supply your confidence. Learn the business side, but don't let it consume the work. BEST MOMENTS “There's nothing sadder than losing this connection to this extremely meaningful thing.” “Make something mysterious, ephemeral, mystical, mythological, and kind of encode it, figure out its algorithm, make it into like a sleek, sexy, robotic version of itself.” “It’s not as if the paintings perfectly reconcile or organise [frightening or abstract ideas]; it’s about building my tolerance and having a physical, embodied experience of being with uncertainty or contradictions” "I think artists sometimes make the mistake of thinking that their gallery is going to give them confidence. It’s not actually their job." "I don't have to solve the contradiction, I can just be with the tangible object, you know, the artwork can live in the world and move in and out of other people's consciousness." "It’s unfair to ask my painting practice to do all of that work. The creative practice is another kind of system that has to be fed and nurtured and rested and maintained, so I can’t just ask it to be my entire existential dread receptacle." GUEST RESOURCES https://www.instagram.com/robinfrancescawilliams https://www.tiktok.com/@wobinrilliamswastaken https://ottessathisottessathat.substack.com/p/language-model-with-robin-f-williams PODCAST HOST BIO With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. **** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals. Ready to transform your art career? Join today! https://cerihand.com/membership/ **** Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities and thrive in the art world today. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/ ** Book a Discovery Call Today To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at hello@cerihand.com This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
October 29 · 17 min
How Your Creative Obsessions Can Help You Find Your People
I want you to think about somebody whose opinion of your work really matters to you. Perhaps it's a curator you've admired for years, an artist whose practice you find fascinating, a gallery director you'd love to work with or somebody who has introduced you to extraordinary art. Now imagine you have the opportunity to spend an hour with them. What would you actually want to talk about? I ask because I think artists can spend an enormous amount of time pursuing opportunities without always considering whether they're connecting with the right people. And having spent much of my working life selecting exhibitions, working with artists, and making decisions about which projects to support, I know how much our individual interests shape those decisions. Over the last couple of weeks, I've been exploring how we develop our own artistic point of view: first looking at when research becomes art, and last week inviting you to choose ten artworks that make you feel glad to be alive and consider what those encounters might reveal about the kind of work you want to make. Today, I want to explore how that understanding can help you find people who genuinely connect with your work, and how you might build relationships that are creatively rewarding for both of you. KEY TAKEAWAYS Spend a little time thinking about the person who's going to be looking at your application. What are they interested in? What kinds of questions seem to preoccupy them? And what makes you think your work might lead to an interesting conversation with them? Instead of trying to perform or network awkwardly at exhibition openings, start with the work by visiting things you are genuinely curious about and asking questions you actually want answered. Build a constellation of people around your practice, over time. People who understand different aspects of your work, challenge you, and share your genuine curiosity. BEST MOMENTS “Selectors aren't neutral. We bring our histories, interests, experiences, relationships, and personal associations into every encounter with an artwork.” “Some of the most rewarding creative relationships I've had have been with artists whose work has challenged my assumptions or introduced me to something completely unexpected.” “If you do decide to approach somebody about your own work, you'll be able to explain why you're interested in connecting with them. You'll have a reason that's grounded in something you genuinely share, rather than a generic message that could have been sent to absolutely anybody.” HOST BIO With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. ** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals. Ready to transform your art career? Join today! https://cerihand.com/membership/ ** Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities and thrive in the art world today. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/ ** Book a Discovery Call To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at hello@cerihand.com This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
October 26 · 1 hr 23 min
Who Gets Remembered in Art and Why? with Alona Pardo, Director of The Arts Council Collection
Some of the decisions that shape art history never make it into the official record. They happen in conversations, through relationships, and because somebody is prepared to champion an artist before the market or the wider art world has decided they matter. My guest today is Alona Pardo, Director of the Arts Council Collection and a Turner Prize jury member. Before taking responsibility for this extraordinary national collection of more than 8,500 works, she spent thirteen years at the Barbican, curating major exhibitions including Masculinities, RE/SISTERS, and Dorothea Lange’s The Politics of Seeing. We talk about how artworks actually enter public collections, why archives can be unreliable witnesses, what happens to a work after it’s acquired, and Alona’s ambitious plans to bring the Arts Council Collection together in Coventry. At the end Alona also reveals the secret hope she has for what she might achieve during her tenure. I for one would like to see it happen. KEY TAKEAWAYS Public collections are living archives. They bring historical works back into cultural discourse through the lens of today, helping us think and feel our way through the complexities of our time. Official archives can be unreliable witnesses. They depend on what was deemed important enough to record at the time, so part of the narrative always gets left out. Informal conversations, negotiations, and backstage advocacy are all critical to shaping art history. True curatorial practice avoids a singular authorial voice, actively inviting challenge and collaboration from artists, writers, and scholars to expand and deepen how stories are told. Encountering structuralists and French feminism at university empowered and galvanised Alona. It shaped a lot of what she studied, her purpose and the direction of her career. BEST MOMENTS “The best works that I've ever encountered are works that kind of hit you in the stomach and really, really live with you and stay with you.” “What I was most interested in is when you put two artworks together, how they begin to feed off each other… how they begin to expand the conversation.” “For artists, that’s a useful reminder to keep thinking about the stories and ideas surrounding your work, and to keep giving people ways into it.” “An artwork is made in a particular moment, but it lives in many times.” ABOUT THE GUEST https://www.instagram.com/alona_pardo/ HOST BIO With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. ** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals. Ready to transform your art career? Join today! https://cerihand.com/membership/ ** Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities and thrive in the art world today. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/ ** Book a Discovery Call Today To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at hello@cerihand.com ** Discover Your Extraordinary Creativity Visit www.cerihand.com to learn how we can help you become an extraordinary creative. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
October 21 · 18 min
What I'm Looking For When I Select Art For Open Calls And Prizes
When I’m selecting for an open call or art prize, I might be looking at hundreds, sometimes thousands, of artworks. So, what actually makes me stop at one and think, hang on, I want to see this in real life? I wanted to share what’s actually going through my mind when I’m choosing from all those images to help you look at your own applications differently. Instead of wondering what everyone else wants to see, I want to help you figure out how to stop second-guessing yourself, drop the anxiety of playing it safe, and give your bravest, most distinctive work the best possible chance of catching a selector's eye. KEY TAKEAWAYS If you've made something that gives you that little whoosh of excitement, something you are slightly nervous about showing, perhaps that's the work you should be considering. You don't have to play it safe by submitting something that's simply nice; selectors would much rather encounter an artwork that makes them think, blimey, what's going on here? You don't have to second-guess everything a selector might like. But looking at who is selecting and what the institution is trying to achieve gives you a much more informed way to choose what to submit. Invest in the quality of your documentation, because your photographs need to give the work the best possible opportunity to communicate its particular qualities, especially when you're not there to advocate for it. BEST MOMENTS “What matters is what meaning I can glean and whether the artist has created an encounter that stays with me.” “Sometimes I'll select a work that's technically less accomplished than another because there's something odd happening within it.” “Generally, I'm looking for something that makes me curious, something that catches me off guard or makes me want to spend more time with it.” PODCAST HOST BIO With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. **** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals. Ready to transform your art career? Join today! https://cerihand.com/membership/ **** Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities and thrive in the art world today. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/ **** Book a Discovery Call Today To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at hello@cerihand.com **** Discover Your Extraordinary Creativity Visit www.cerihand.com to learn how we can help you become an extraordinary creative. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
October 18 · 1 hr 42 min
The Weight of Imagination: Art, Memory, and Making with Andy Holden
What would it be like to meet every version of the artist you’ve been over the last twenty years? That’s essentially what Andy Holden has just done. For his new book, Weight of Imagination, Andy re-performed works from across his career, encountering his younger selves along the way. The teenager who wrote an art manifesto with his friends. The young artist returning a piece of stone he’d stolen from the Great Pyramid of Giza. The artist who had to become a cartoon to understand the laws of a cartoon universe. And the musician who found that playing with his band, The Grubby Mitts, could keep his creativity alive when making visual art became difficult. In this conversation, we talk about what happens when you refuse to abandon the ideas that once mattered to you, how to keep making through periods of doubt, and what twenty years of work can teach you about the artist you’re becoming. I’m Ceri Hand. I’m an artist coach, and on Extraordinary Creatives I get inside the lives of remarkable creative people to discover how they make their work and build a life that allows them to keep making it. I can’t wait for you to get to know Andy Holden. KEY TAKEAWAYS Looking back can be more than a way of taking stock; it can bring earlier versions of ourselves into conversation with the present. Revisiting old work may reveal not a single, tidy through-line, but seeds and questions that are still alive and have potential. Let the story help you find its medium. Sometimes the work asks you to learn a new skill or make something imperfectly, because the way it is made needs to carry the same meaning as what it says. Creative practice can ask us to hold opposing truths at once: irony and sincerity, hope and pessimism, confidence and doubt. Art need not resolve those tensions; it can help us stay with their complexity and carry that capacity into life. BEST MOMENTS “If It is curious to you, it will be curious to somebody else.” “Don't try and reflect and analyse. Or create and analyse at the same time. They're two different processes.” “Perhaps an extraordinary creative life needs a bit of both: enough irreverence to question the rules, and enough sincerity to care deeply about what you make.” EPISODE RESOURCES The Weight of Imagination by Andy Holden - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Andy-Holden-Imagination-Jennifer-Higgie/dp/191173640X https://andyholdenartist.com/ PODCAST HOST BIO With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. **** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals. Ready to transform your art career? Join today! https://cerihand.com/membership/ **** Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities and thrive in the art world today. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/ **** Book a Discovery Call Today To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at hello@cerihand.com **** Discover Your Extraordinary Creativity Visit www.cerihand.com to learn how we can help you become an extraordinary creative. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
October 14 · 16 min
What Kind of Art Makes You Glad to Be Alive?
What kind of art makes you glad to be alive? I don't necessarily mean the work you think is important, the artists you're supposed to admire or the exhibitions everybody's talking about. I'm interested in the work that gets under your skin. The things you find yourself thinking about years after you've encountered them. The things that make you feel more curious about being in the world. And I wonder how often, as artists, we give ourselves permission to think about that. Last week, I was talking about the moment when research becomes art. I was asking what happens when all the information you've gathered, the things you've discovered and the ideas you've explored undergo some kind of transformation through your particular way of seeing. This week, I want to explore where that way of seeing might come from. KEY TAKEAWAYS Your enthusiasm can tell you things that your intellectual understanding hasn't quite caught up with. When a piece of art or something else prompts a strong reaction in you, take note of why it interests you, what makes you laugh, ask questions, relaxes you or even what makes you feel uncomfortable. If you're continually editing your interests according to what you think other people will approve of, you can lose touch with the things that made you excited about making art in the first place. Seeing someone else's work and feeling a little pang of envy can be revealing, not because of their success, but because they've made something you wish you'd had the courage to make. Gather ten artworks that make you feel glad to be alive and identify the recurring qualities. Use those insights to see if there are qualities you admire in others' work that you haven't given yourself permission to explore in your own studio. BEST MOMENTS "When I ask them what they find exciting about somebody's work, sometimes they struggle." "If you discover a contradiction between what you love and what you're making, don't immediately assume you need to change everything." "We talk about having good taste, bad taste, sophisticated taste. But those descriptions can quickly become tied up with ideas about class, race, culture, status, education, fashion and belonging." "You don't need to arrive at a definitive statement about your artistic identity. You're allowed to change your mind. You're allowed to have contradictory interests. You're allowed to love things you can't explain." PODCAST HOST BIO With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. **** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals. Ready to transform your art career? Join today! https://cerihand.com/membership/ **** Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities and thrive in the art world today. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/ **** Book a Discovery Call Today To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at hello@cerihand.com **** Discover Your Extraordinary Creativity Visit www.cerihand.com to learn how we can help you become an extraordinary creative. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
October 11 · 1 hr 29 min
What Art Can Do About Climate Change? - with Alice Sharp and Rana Begum
What can art do about climate change that science, facts, and frightening headlines can’t? That question has driven curator Alice Sharp for more than fifteen years. As Artistic Director of Invisible Dust, she brings leading artists and scientists together to create something neither could have arrived at alone. Her latest project, Climate Clock, created for Oulu’s year as European Capital of Culture in Finland, brings together seven permanent public artworks exploring climate change through our relationship with nature and time. Each artist was paired with a scientist, with Alice creating the conditions for those conversations to become something genuinely new. One of those artists is Rana Begum, whose collaboration with glaciologist Alan Hubbard transformed footage of glaciers breaking apart into a monumental work made from locally sourced stone, evoking both the weight and fragility of ice. In this conversation, Alice talks about trust, risk, fundraising, scientists, communities and the invisible infrastructure behind ambitious public art. Rana takes us inside the artist’s process: what happens when new knowledge enters your imagination, how work changes as it meets a place, and why the best collaborations leave room for surprise. And we ask: if information alone isn’t changing our behaviour, can artists help us feel our way towards a different future? KEY TAKEAWAYS Art can help us imagine climate futures in ways that facts and science alone cannot. Bringing artists and scientists together creates space for new perspectives, questions, thought provoking work and unexpected outcomes. Art doesn’t have to turn climate science into a neat lesson. It can hold beauty and fear together, creating a pause where people can feel, notice and ask questions. Public art doesn’t need to be removed from everyday life to have impact — placing challenging work where people encounter it unexpectedly can start conversations and change how communities see themselves. Artists help shape the futures we can imagine. BEST MOMENTS “Who can imagine the future? It’s artists because you know it’s impossible to do anything about the future without imagining.” “If you can bring in a new perspective that someone hasn’t heard before, I think you’re going to have people more interested in future thinking.” “Rather than becoming paralysed by the scale of what is happening, ask what agency we have through the choices we make, the relationships we build and the work we put into the world.” EPISODE RESOURCES https://www.ranabegum.com/ https://invisibledust.com/ https://www.instagram.com/invisible_dust https://www.instagram.com/ranabegumstudio HOST BIO With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. ** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals. Ready to transform your art career? https://cerihand.com/membership/ ** Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities and thrive. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/ ** Book a Discovery Call To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at hello@cerihand.com This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
October 7 · 16 min
When Research Hasn't Become Art Yet
At a recent exhibition opening, I was talking with an artist whose work I admire. We were looking at work that was beautifully made and meticulously researched, yet somehow, I wasn’t moved. The artist described it as research that hadn't become art yet. I thought that was such an interesting observation, because it describes something I've encountered many times over the years A fascinating subject, impeccable research and extraordinary skill don’t always add up to an artwork that feels fully alive. Over the next three episodes, I’m exploring how you develop your own artistic point of view: how research becomes art; what the works that make you feel glad to be alive can teach you about what you want to make; and how that understanding can help you find people who connect with and champion your work. It’s easy to get caught up in producing, explaining, and promoting work without asking what you want it to do. So today, let’s start with research: when does it stop being information you’ve gathered and become something only you could make? KEY TAKEAWAYS Sometimes a work can feel like a presentation of research rather than artwork. Often, because the artist hasn’t yet made the personal choices that transform it into work that moves them and others. Don’t let research postpone creating. There will always be another book to read or person to interview. Sometimes the next discovery comes from trying something, getting it wrong, and seeing where the experiment takes you. The transformation doesn't have to be dramatic, but there's a difference between representing something you found and making a decision about it that opens up a new experience for somebody else. Give the viewer a chance to meet the work before they meet the backstory. Notice what they’re curious about, where they linger, and what surprises them. Their response can show you what’s already alive in the work and where to take it next. BEST MOMENTS “Sometimes, when an artist tells me about a new project, they can talk for twenty minutes about the research before we get anywhere near the artwork.” “Then I look at the artwork and find myself wondering where the artist has gone.” “Take a look at what you've actually made so far. Try to separate it just temporarily from everything you know about the subject.” “You might begin to recognize the difference between the things you know about your subject and the things you're discovering through making the work.” PODCAST HOST BIO With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. ** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals. Ready to transform your art career? Join today! https://cerihand.com/membership/ ** Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities and thrive in the art world today. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/ ** Book a Discovery Call Today To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at hello@cerihand.com ** Discover Your Extraordinary Creativity Visit www.cerihand.com to learn how we can help you become an extraordinary creative. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
October 4 · 1 hr 30 min
Learning How to Really Look, Understand And Uncover The Story with Daniel Crouch
How does a sixteen-year-old looking for beer money become one of the world’s leading dealers in rare maps, selling extraordinary objects for millions and occasionally outbidding the Library of Congress? Today I’m talking to Daniel Crouch, founder of Daniel Crouch Rare Books, because I’ve always been fascinated by maps. They might look like records of the world, but they’re also records of how somebody wanted us to see it: who owns what, where borders lie, what gets included and what disappears. Daniel has spent his entire working life learning how to look. We talk about a magnificent sixteenth-century world map that may have been made for political negotiations between kings; a 5,000-year-old clay map bearing its maker’s thumbprint; and the nineteenth-century map he bought for £100 at a car boot sale, only to discover his own house sitting right in the middle of it. But beneath these extraordinary objects is a much bigger conversation about curiosity, storytelling, value, collecting and what happens when you spend a lifetime paying very close attention. I loved this one. I think you will too. KEY TAKEAWAYS Work that feels topical, disposable or culturally specific today can become an important historical record tomorrow. The fact that something was made quickly or for a short-lived audience doesn't make it artistically or historically insignificant. Go and look again at something you think you already know. Stay with it a little longer. Ask who made it, why they made it and what you can see that somebody else might miss - sometimes the extraordinary thing isn’t hidden at all. We just haven’t learned how to look yet. Looking is never neutral. Somebody has made a choice about what to include, what to leave out, where to place the centre, where to draw a boundary. Every creative work is also a way of deciding what the world looks like. Expertise doesn't arrive all at once. Daniel built his eye slowly by looking, touching, researching, talking, making mistakes and staying curious. BEST MOMENTS “Value doesn’t live in price alone. It grows when somebody can help us understand the history, labour, imagination, craft and human experience held inside an object.” “That thing that you think actually is just a throwaway thing could go on to inspire generations to come.” “As art dealers, particularly as rare map dealers, we don't sell objects and we don't sell beauty. We sell a story.” ABOUT THE GUEST https://crouchrarebooks.com/ HOST BIO With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. ** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals. Ready to transform your art career? Join today! https://cerihand.com/membership/ ** Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities and thrive in the art world today. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/ ** Book a Discovery Call Today To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at hello@cerihand.com ** Discover Your Extraordinary Creativity Visit www.cerihand.com to learn how we can help you become an extraordinary creative. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
September 30 · 33 min
What Four Days Learning About Trauma Taught Me About Creativity
What if the thing that you keep calling procrastination, lack of confidence or self-sabotage isn’t quite what you think it is? What if one part of you desperately wants the exhibition, the opportunity, or success, while another part is trying just as hard to keep you safe? And what happens to our creativity when we’re also carrying grief, uncertainty, difficult relationships, and everything that’s happened to us before, as well as everything happening in the world around us right now? I recently spent four days in Oxford thinking exactly about these questions at a conference on trauma, healing the mind, the body, and the spirit. I came home thinking how much of this connects to the challenges that I see creatives wrestling with every single day. So, in this episode, I want to talk about agency - the different parts of ourselves that can want completely contradictory things; grief and trust; how we protect our attention without turning away from the world; why spirituality is still a dirty word in the art world; and why the problem that you think you might need to solve might only be the visible part of something much bigger. KEY TAKEAWAYS If you’re procrastinating, stuck on pricing, or avoiding galleries, it may not be a simple confidence problem. The visible snag could be connected to exhaustion, grief, old hurts, or the conditions you’re working in. Your creative block may be tied to loss, not just bereavement. Maybe losing a community, security, or the person you thought you’d become. Naming what you’re grieving can help make sense of what feels stuck. You can care about what’s happening in the world without taking in every update. Managing your inputs isn't indifference - it enables you to remain present and useful for longer. Agency doesn’t mean carrying the whole art world on your shoulders. Agency is saying this isn't all within your control, so let's identify what is. You don’t have to become fearless to make work or put yourself out there. Confidence can mean taking a step without knowing how it’ll go and trusting yourself to meet what comes next. BEST MOMENTS "The bit of you that's frightened doesn't disappear because you tell it to be quiet. It just keeps tapping you on the shoulder, and sometimes it gets even louder.” “Sometimes, what we're grieving is a version of ourselves.” “Maybe confidence is I don't know what's going to happen, but I trust myself enough to find out.” HOST BIO With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. ** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals. Ready to transform your art career? Join today! https://cerihand.com/membership/ ** Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities and thrive in the art world today. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/ ** Book a Discovery Call Today To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at hello@cerihand.com ** Discover Your Extraordinary Creativity Visit www.cerihand.com to learn how we can help you become an extraordinary creative. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
September 27 · 1 hr 36 min
Preparing for Viral Success Without Burning Out with Freddie Yauner
What do you do when an artwork you’ve been quietly developing for years suddenly goes stratospheric? And how do you turn a hit into a career-changing opportunity without sacrificing your health, your family, or the work itself? My guest today is extraordinary artist Freddie Yauner, whose work explores how our drive for continual growth impacts people and the planet. Held in MoMA’s permanent collection, his projects range from world-record-breaking toasters to portraits of CEOs painted with pollen. Years ago, I invited Freddie to make a film using his Mirror Mask, an ingenious piece reflecting the viewer rather than the wearer. Newly edited and reposted, the film exploded - racking up millions of views, reaching fans like Dawn French, and sending thousands of masks around the world. We discuss the mechanisms of success: how great ideas are mobilised, navigating health issues and imposter syndrome when things take off, and how to reinvest a hit to protect your creative life. Freddie also shares what shifted for him when he joined my six-month Artist Mastermind Circle. KEY TAKEAWAYS Sometimes a number one hit arrives years after you first made the work. Your job is to be ready for it. Treat virality not as a fluke but as the moment when preparation meets opportunity. You don’t have to do everything yourself. Investing in help with admin, social media or production isn’t indulgent, it’s how you create the capacity to stay creative, resilient and available to new opportunities. Doing less, better, is a radical act. When health or life reduces your capacity, it can also sharpen your priorities. Limitation can become a lens that clarifies what really matters in your practice. BEST MOMENTS “Luck favours the prepared mind.” “Treat a successful artwork like a number one hit… don’t abandon it because you’re already thinking about the next thing… stay curious about how far it can travel, who else it might reach and what doors it might open.” “You put all this energy into making the work, and then actually it's not complete until you work out how to share it as well.” If you’re an experienced artist who’s already had some success through exhibitions, but you know there are areas where you’re ready to level up, applications are now open for my next Artist Mastermind Circle. It runs for six months, from November 2026 to May 2027, with twenty-five artists from around the world. A carefully curated group, so places are by application, and the deadline is Monday 28 September. Apply here: cerihand.com/artist-mastermind-circle. EPISODE RESOURCES https://freddieyauner.co.uk/ https://www.instagram.com/freddieyauner HOST BIO With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. ** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals - https://cerihand.com/membership/ ** Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/ ** Book a Discovery Call Today To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at hello@cerihand.com This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
September 23 · 27 min
Stop Hoping Somebody Will Discover You
“I don’t know enough people” might be one of the most convenient lies artists tell themselves. And before you get cross with me, hear me out. If you tell yourself, you don’t know the right curators, collectors, commissioners, gallerists, or writers, you get to keep believing the problem is your network. You don’t have to risk contacting somebody. You don’t have to hear no. And you get to keep hoping that one day somebody might discover you. But hope is protecting you from the very thing your work needs you to do. I speak to artists every single day, and I hear versions of this constantly. “I live in the arse end of nowhere.” “I don’t have the money.” “I hate private views.” ““I’m awkward.” “I didn’t go to the right art school.” “My work is too strange.” “I’m an introvert.” And look, I have empathy with a lot of this. I’m an introvert myself. Given the choice, I would much rather sit in my little home office writing or talking properly to one interesting person than spend three hours shouting over somebody at a private view. But I think something else is going on. Why, when you already know how to network, are you still not doing it? I don’t think most artists need another lesson in networking. I think some of you need to stop waiting to feel comfortable enough to start. That’s what today is about. KEY TAKEAWAYS Stop waiting to be discovered. You can’t control whether somebody says yes, but you can control whether you make the invitation, send the email, follow up, or put the work in front of somebody. You don’t need the whole art world. You need your world: the people whose interests genuinely overlap with what you’re exploring. Who curated the exhibition that you loved, who wrote that essay that you keep returning to? Who commissioned that artist whose trajectory really fascinates you? Start with your curiosity, research those people, and follow the threads. You don’t have to become fearless, extroverted, or brilliant at networking. Start ridiculously small. Find five people you’d genuinely like to talk to, choose one, and contact them. Then do it again next week. One small gesture each week is all it takes. BEST MOMENTS “Your network should grow out of your curiosity, not your desperation, because desperation makes everybody look like a gatekeeper. Curiosity makes everybody interesting.” “When your brain says, "I don't know anybody, I want you to course correct it. It's a thought error. Say I don't know them yet.” “You don’t have to become fearless. You just have to become more practised.” HOST BIO With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. ** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals. Join today! https://cerihand.com/membership/ ** Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to thrive in the art world today. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/ ** Book a Discovery Call To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at hello@cerihand.com ** Discover Your Extraordinary Creativity Visit www.cerihand.com to learn how we can help you become an extraordinary creative. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
September 20 · 1 hr 41 min
What Creativity, Leadership and Community Mean When Your Life Changes Drastically with Andrea Grover
Andrea Grover has spent nearly thirty years championing artists who take risks. And right now, she’s taking a few of her own. She’s turned her dining room into an experimental performance space called the Ponderosa Lounge. She’s started doing stand-up comedy in her fifties. And after ten years leading Guild Hall in East Hampton, she’s thinking deeply about what creativity, community and leadership can mean when life changes in ways you could never have planned for. Andrea is a curator, writer and arts leader who founded the pioneering Aurora Picture Show in Houston, went on to curate ambitious projects including Radical Seafaring, and has spent her career making space for experimentation, play and what she calls the “head-scratchers”, the art you don’t immediately understand but can’t stop thinking about. Earlier this year, Andrea was diagnosed with ALS. We talk about what that diagnosis is teaching her about accepting help and love, why she’s using comedy to process what’s happening, what decades of working with artists have taught her about leadership, and why she believes creativity can bring people together when so much around us is pulling us apart. There is so much life in this conversation. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. KEY TAKEAWAYS Creative community can feel like finding your way back to the weird kid lunch table. A place where you’re allowed to be fully yourself, to laugh, to be vulnerable, and to let other people help you when you can’t do it all alone. Depth matters more than churn. When you commit to artists and audiences over time, you create the conditions for real trust, real risk, and real change. Leadership in the arts isn’t about control; it’s about distributing power - trusting others to hold the work with you and letting them surprise you. BEST MOMENTS “An extraordinary creative life really asks of us. Not that we control what happens next, but that we remain curious enough to meet it. To make something with what we have. To let other people in. To keep finding joy, play and connection.” “Accepting love, accepting help has been very healing …. this sickness is healing me. It's healing me of this relentless pursuit, a forward motion towards I don't know what.” “I love people who don't think like me.” “You can't just run a cultural institution on ideas. You actually have to know how to run a business and how to pay people.” EPISODE RESOURCES https://www.guildhall.org https://www.instagram.com/gentleridevan/ @guild_hall // @gentleridevan HOST BIO With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. ** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals. Ready to transform your art career? Join today! https://cerihand.com/membership/ ** Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities and thrive in the art world today. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/ ** Book a Discovery Call To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at hello@cerihand.com ** Discover Your Extraordinary Creativity Visit www.cerihand.com to learn how we can help you become an extraordinary creative. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
September 16 · 17 min
When Someone Else's Envy Lands on You
Today, I am talking about a feeling that most of us know intimately. A feeling that most of us don’t talk about: Envy. This episode is about both kinds, which turn out to be the same machine running in two different directions. We’ll look at what happens inside you when you hear someone else’s good news - the prize, the residency, the museum acquisition, the sold-out show - and feel that sharp jab under the ribs that bends you double. We’ll talk about how, within about 90 seconds, you can pick up their achievement and swing it at your own career like a wrecking ball, and why that reaction isn’t just you being “awful,” it’s information. Drawing on research into “benign” and “malicious” envy, we’ll separate the kind that quietly points you upwards towards the work you actually want to be making from the kind that wants to pull other people down when you feel you have no control over your own situation. We’ll also talk about the other half that almost nobody names: what happens when you are the one being envied. The colleague who goes a bit cool, the snide remark at the opening, the tall poppy swipes that land at two in the morning and come home with you. This episode is an invitation to notice which kind of envy has landed, what it’s trying to tell you, and how to move from resentment and comparison towards honest data and self-trust. KEY TAKEAWAYS Envy is a two-way machine. It’s one word for two different emotions, both triggered by someone else’s good news but pulling you in very different directions. When you envy others, ask what kind it is. The benign kind pointing you towards your own next step, or the malicious kind that needs you to reclaim your sense of agency. Expect some envy, some odd weather as you become more visible: the cool colleague, the snide remark. Pause and sort what you’re seeing and hearing. Warm, awkward admiration gets a “thank you”; real nastiness usually gets no response and never results in a smaller you. BEST MOMENTS “When it (envy) lands, ask what kind you've got. If it's pointing you upwards towards work that you want to be making and you're not currently making, it's data, useful data.” “Being envied by someone whose eye you trust is a form of recognition that no review will ever give you. That artist had the benign kind.” “People are far more accepting of success they believe was earned and feel justified in cutting down success that looks like bragging or luck or shortcuts.” PODCAST HOST BIO With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. **** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals. Ready to transform your art career? Join today! https://cerihand.com/membership/ **** Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities and thrive in the art world today. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/ **** Book a Discovery Call Today To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at hello@cerihand.com **** Discover Your Extraordinary Creativity Visit www.cerihand.com to learn how we can help you become an extraordinary creative. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
September 13 · 1 hr
The Journey Back to Yourself: Letting Go of Who People Expect You to Be with Gabriella Cilmi
My guest today is the wonderful Italian-Australian singer-songwriter Gabriella Cilmi. Many of you will remember her breakthrough hit Sweet About Me, which became a global success when she was just sixteen. Since then she's toured the world, won awards, shared stages with some of music's biggest names, and now, after thirteen years, she's released a remarkable new album called Pure Love. It's soulful, analogue, deeply human, and for me, one of those records that gets better every time you listen to it. What fascinated me wasn't the success. It was the journey back to herself. In this conversation, Gabriella shares what it took to stop running from other people's expectations, how she learned to trust her own creative instincts again, why the people around us shape the work we're capable of making, and how she finally found the confidence to make the album she'd always wanted to make. If you've ever questioned your own voice, struggled to trust your instincts, or wondered whether it's too late to create the work that's really inside you, I think you're going to love this conversation. KEY TAKEAWAYS The work often changes when we stop trying to outrun ourselves and start listening to the part of us that knew what it loved before everyone else’s expectations got involved. Sometimes your younger self knows more than you think. Return to that place within yourself that cannot be destroyed, your spark. The right people can create the conditions for extraordinary work to exist. Being seen, supported and challenged by others can give you the confidence to take risks. Don´t eliminate all uncertainty from your creative process. Deliberately creating slight discomfort, more opportunity for spontaneity and the possibility of failure introduces energy into your work. Some imperfection is not a defect; it can be part of the character of the work. BEST MOMENTS “That first seed of idea is so important. don't lose track of it. It can change. Be open to it changing, but there's always something in that.” “Fear never disappeared but became something she learned to work alongside. And perhaps most importantly, success became less about proving herself and more about finding peace with herself.” “I just stopped trying as hard and just did what felt natural.” EPISODE RESOURCES https://open.spotify.com/artist/5v2GEv1pQaCp6oeOQROdKE https://www.instagram.com/gabriellacilmi/ - to pre-order her new album HOST BIO With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. ** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals. Ready to transform your art career? Join today! https://cerihand.com/membership/ ** Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities and thrive in the art world today. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/ ** Book a Discovery Call Today To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at hello@cerihand.com ** Discover Your Extraordinary Creativity Visit www.cerihand.com to learn how we can help you become an extraordinary creative. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
September 9 · 15 min
The Work That Didn´t Sell
I was watching The Big Deal, the new programme with Steph McGovern on the BBC, and I came away with more thoughts than will fit into one episode. Most of them can wait. Today I want to use one thing from it, because it landed directly on top of something that comes up in my membership every single week. An artist has made a body of work. It went out once, into one exhibition, and it didn't sell. Now it's in the studio taking up space, and the question arrives in one of three forms. Should I auction it off cheap? Should I give it away? Should it even be on my website anymore? So, three questions, and every one of them is a plan for getting rid. It is interesting the speed at which the artist brain goes to disposal. The work has been out once…. and already the conclusion is that it's spent, it's evidence of something that didn't work, and that the fastest way back to feeling alright is to make it disappear. And underneath that is something bigger - artists hate the idea of selling. Yet, I know that every artist can turn their graveyard of pieces that did not sell into a living archive that attracts collectors. KEY TAKEAWAYS Unsold work is not failed work. That back catalogue you’re quietly ashamed of might be the best thing someone new to it sees this year. Your job is not to hide it, but to remember why you made it and let it back into circulation. An aversion to the idea of sales holds you back. Selling doesn’t require you to become louder, slicker, more salesy. It’s shared enthusiasm. When you reconnect with the ideas, stories, and processes behind a piece, you can talk about it in a way that lets other people decide whether it’s for them. You need a simple practice. One older piece a month: document it properly, write a short note about where it came from, and release it through your newsletter, socials, or a personal email. BEST MOMENTS “The work in the corner of your studio isn't waiting to be disposed of. It's waiting for you to remember why you made it and share your enthusiasm for it.” “You have to sell yourself on the work first before you try to sell the work to anybody else.” “She started looking for her people, her collectors, the ones already half interested in what she was interested in.” If you want more of this in your inbox every week, subscribe to my newsletter Beat the Block cerihand.com/subscribe and it’ll land in your inbox every Friday. EPISODE RESOURCES How to sell more art episode - https://podcasts.apple.com/tw/podcast/want-to-sell-more-art-fix-this-first/id1709105337?i=1000700986682 HOST BIO With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. ** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals. Ready to transform your art career? Join today! https://cerihand.com/membership/ ** Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities in the art world today. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/ ** Book a Discovery Call To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at hello@cerihand.com This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/
September 6 · 1 hr 29 min
Why Returning to “Failures” Can Be the Most Creative Act of Your Life with Wreckless Eric
Some artists spend their whole lives trying to outrun the work that made them famous. Others spend their lives trying to find their way back to themselves. Today's guest has somehow done both. Wreckless Eric exploded onto the music scene with Whole Wide World, a song that became part of popular culture. But behind the myth sits Eric Goulden: musician, songwriter, producer, writer and relentless observer of ordinary life, who's spent four decades building a body of work far richer and more personal than most people realise. In this conversation, we go far beyond punk and nostalgia. We talk about growing up, art school, perfectionism, collaboration, his distrust of the music industry, and what it means to keep evolving when everyone thinks they already know who you are. We explore his partnership with songwriter Amy Rigby, why imperfection makes music human, and how returning to songs he'd once considered failures became one of the most liberating creative acts of his life. This isn't really a conversation about success. It's about staying curious enough to keep becoming. I loved every minute of it, and I think you will too. KEY TAKEAWAYS You don't need perfect conditions to make honest work. You can start exactly where you are, with the tools and spaces you already have, and let the scruffy, makeshift reality around you quietly seep into what you make. Celebrate your idiosyncrasies and make the work anyway. No one is queueing up for it - and that's freeing. The wrong notes, rough edges and sudden left turns are often where the real human connection lives. BEST MOMENTS “You should celebrate your idiosyncrasies rather than try and fix them.” “Stay curious. Keep experimenting. Trust your odd rhythms. The work that lasts isn't usually the work that tries hardest to fit in. It's the work that sounds unmistakably like you.” “I got it in my head that rhymes were really banal… but she said they take you to places that you probably wouldn't go without them.” “It's like Morris dancing in a in a recording studio.” EPISODE RESOURCES https://www.wrecklesseric.com England Screaming - https://www.promojukebox.com/PEMDL87209220-2AV5YA5R7TBB4BCS-sean%40bureau-b.com%2Csean.newsham.tapet Leisureland - https://www.promojukebox.com/PEMDL42485375-R24DCBHF4GCTBTR7-sean%40bureau-b.com%2Csean.newsham.tapet Amy's Rigby’s Hang In There With Me - https://www.promojukebox.com/PEMDL50672250-FNXA4A4HAZTVPWDE-sean%40bureau-b.com%2Csean.newsham.tapet HOST BIO With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. ** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals. Ready to transform your art career https://cerihand.com/membership/ ** Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities and thrive in the art world today. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/ ** Book a Discovery Call To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at hello@cerihand.com ** Discover Your Extraordinary Creativity Visit www.cerihand.com to learn how we can help you become an extraordinary creative. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

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